Air India unveils new logo in push to rebrand under Tata Group

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Tata Group unveiled a new logo, branding and aircraft livery for Air India on Thursday as part of a multi-billion dollar transformation of the former state-owned carrier.

The airline’s new logo includes a gold, red and purple color scheme, and will replace the old logo of a red swan with orange spokes.

Tata’s rebranding, which comes after years of underinvestment under government control, will not entirely do away with the iconic mascot of a jolly maharaja in a red turban and oversized mustache.

It would remain in some elements of the design, but not be as prominent, chief executive Campbell Wilson said, adding that all of the airline’s widebody aircraft will be facelifted in the new livery by 2025.

Since taking control in 2022, Tata has spent millions of dollars to upgrade Air India’s aging planes, while also placing an order for hundreds of new planes.

It also upgraded many of its paper-based systems and streamlined operations to better compete with domestic rival IndiGo and global airlines like Emirates.

“The vision we have for the airline is also in the context of a resurgent new India where everyone’s aspirations are limitless,” said Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran.

Over the past year, Air India has expanded its network and flights to several new domestic and international destinations, but still faces challenges in operating a continuous and timely flight schedule.

As the airline grows, CEO Wilson said, it wanted to move beyond the Maharajah, who may not be as well known outside of India, while retaining the elements of the mascot that spell out hospitality and service.

Reporting by Aditi Shah in New Delhi and Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Edited by Arun Koyyur

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.